For some reason Christmas, this year, reminds me of WW1. I know it shouldn’t.

I have no idea why I am reminded of WW1- perhaps it is because I have been doing a lot of genealogy and I spend a lot of time thinking about the past. And, the past always reminds me of my Opa (Richard Senger). His life and mine have been deeply affected by the Great War (his directly.. mine vicariously).

I know a war is historically over at a definitive point in time, but emotionally that may not be the case. It seems more like waves… each following the other, getting smaller and shallower with time and distance. The pain of the Great War continues to ripple across time, still affecting me. His pain, his strength, his loss, all remain in my heart and remain real.